crawl with me

Art Bergmann: vocals, guitar
Ray Fulber: bass
Susann Richter: keyboards, vocals
Taylor Nelson Little: drums

Words and music by Art Bergmann,
except (*) Bergmann/Nicholl
All songs published by Top Side Charlie Music / Maximum Blues Music (PROCAN), except * published by Top Side Charlie / Maximum Blues Music (PROCAN) & Horror Show Music (CAPAC)

Produced by John Cale.
Engineered by Roger Moutenot.
Assistant Engineer Scott Campbell.
Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, NYC.

Design by Vera Litynsky.
Art Direction by Dean Motter.
Photography by Denise Grant.

Management: Sam Feldman c/o Sam Feldman & Associates.

Recorded at Manta Sound Company.
Crawl With Me (DSRD 31046) ©, (p) 1988 Duke Strett Records, a division of PAJA company Ltd.

my empty house

Won’t you come home
To my empty house
I’m all alone
Except for
My former spouse
Won’t you come home
It’s full of empty minds
I’ve got an empty heart
Can’t you hear the whine

They said
Things would be alright
After a couple of years
Of restraint
But the kids
Aren’t getting any younger
And for me
It’s much too late

I got married in a fever
I’d sonner kill you
Than leave you
I’m thinking maybe
We should have moved
Staring at you
Across my living room

When things go wrong
Turn to the right
When things get worse
Pick up a gun
Things for me
Just got weird
I think I shot
The wrong person
I’m painting
The whole house red

Everthing I worked for
One by one
Going out my door
Save for my TV
Buzzing in the corner
The house is surrounded

I can get a job
I can’t geed the kids
I can get a job
I can’t feed you
If you’re as sick of me
As I am of you
Believe me
I feel the same

Won’t you come homje
To my empty house
I’ve got an empty heart
I’ve got an empty mind
I went to trade school
Got my welding ticket
Did my time
I’ve got a 2-car garage
A lein on my mortgage
On my happy 2.2

our little secret

I know
What she wants
But she don’t
Get it from me
Opened up and broken
By the age of thirteen
Daddy says
Father knows best
No one else
Needs to know

Tell me how
You got this sickness
What an age
To be involved with us
There’s a little secret
We all share
And I think I get it
When I see you
Laying there
With me in your arms

Did a lot of reading
But talked too little
Nietzsche, Sartre, Stendhal
Et al.
Daddy read a lot
But he never
Took us anywhere
Just a room
With a lock
At the top of the stairs

Tell me how
You got this sickness
What an age
To be involved with us
There’s a little secret
We all share
And I think I get it
When I see you
Laying there
With me in your arms

Will you come running
When his face falls
Will you come running
When he’s giving you
The call
As we walk
Hand in hand
Into our own
Wasteland

I know
What she wants
But she don’t
Get it from me
Opened up and broken
By the age of thirteen
Daddy says
Father knows best
My baby
Let’s go upstairs

Tell me how
You got this sickness
What an age
To be involved with us
There’s a little secret
We all share
And I think I get it
When I see you
Laying there
With me in your arms

(we want) the most wanted man in town

I’ve seen you
With my friend Jim
I know
What you’ve been doing with him
You got yourself
All caught up
Now you’re stuck
Way out on a limb

Nobody’s got the keys
Especially not me
Nobody’s got the keys
Especially not me

Not everyone
Has a pretty face
Catherine Deneuve
Has everything on you
Christie Brinkley
And her pretty pace
Her and her husband
Try to stick it to you

Tonight we’re gonna
Sharpen that knife
We’re gonna carve
That turkey up right
It’s gonna be
Such a happy holy day
When we carve
Every fear away

Not everyone
Has the means to create
It depends on your
Financial situation
Everyone has the means
To erase
It depends on what
You think of as disgrace

don't be late

You’re making me wait
Please don’t be late
You’re making me hate you
I’d never rape you

You’re strange
You get stranger on me
When you come on me
You get obvious on me

I’m not like those other guys
I wouldn’t bake you
Like they did in 1939
Then you go and spoil it all
By saying something stupid
Like I love you

You’re strange
You get stranger on me
When you come on me
You get obvious on me
Come on
Get obvious on me

runaway train

The seconds tick by
Like a runaway train
The hours go by
Like a runaway train
The days go by
Like a runaway train
And the years go by

final cliche

Danny got a mortgage
And sailed it away
His daddy financed him
All the way
Six months
He could’ve had a boat
Danny
He gave up hope

He woke up every morning
With the sawing in his head
Thought he’d
Put it down in words
But he
Bit his nails instead
He’d do anything to get rid of the dread
Now Danny
The poor boy is dead

He was rich
He could have walked
Walked so proud
He dug his ditch
And threw himself in it
When the noise got too loud

Danny got a mortgage
And sailed it away
But his daddy
Made him pay pay pay
You and me
Are made of sterner stuff
Danny
Wasn’t quite up to snuff

He woke up every morning
With the sawing in his head
Thoguht he’d
Put it down in words
But he
Bit his nails instead
Six months
He could’ve had a yacht
We all know
What Danny bought

He took his car
To the park
Stuck a hose
Fron the exhaust pipe
Through the window
And went to sleep
He sank like a stone
Like the sun
Into the Sea
Permanently

crawl with me

I was lying on the table
Prone and oblivious
You were staring at me
Intentions obvious
I thought I might be able
To make something
Out of this
We shook hands
Later we’d kiss
You asked where
We were going
I said that depends
If we fall in love
It will be your living end

Everybody wants
What they can’t have
You could have me
But you won’t keep
Opportunity knocks
Only once
I said get lost
Now here’s your chance

Crawl with me
Crawl with me home
Wast my time then
Leave me alone
Use me
Turn me to stone
Take another nail and
Drive it home

All my investments
Get no return
Just double-digit interest
on nothing learned
So why continue
What do you earn
By staying cool
While I still burn

When the bank forecloses
On all your debts
I’ll still open up and
You can dig through that

Now you know
I let myself go
You used that up
Now I’m sold
So go ahead
Sell me sloppy dead
We both end up empty
Let’s repeat history

junkie don't care

Look at that singer
He’s been doing this
For years
You little baby
You’re so young
You don’t show any fear
Look at that singer
Now he’s grasping for air
You little baby
You’re so young
You’re not scared
You don’t care

My baby
She rode in that Lincoln
I hope
She makes it O.K.
My baby
She rode in that Lincoln
I hope
She’s alive today
It gets so cold at night
When there’s a hint of snow
In the air
Remember
The junkie don’t care

Look at the singer
He’s got an oxygen tent
You little baby
Morning came I just went
Look at that singer
Is he your doctor or something
You little junkie
What’s the attraction

You little baby
You’re so young
You don’t show any fear
You little baby
You’re so young
Take a look in the mirror
You little junkie
I see a TV in your eyes
You little junkie
Are you dead or alive

ill repute

The minister’s lover’s husband
Came home and
Caught them in the act
He was not amused
At their savage lack of tact
But his wife
Took him back
With all his charms
The premier
And his cabinet
Welcomed him back
With open arms

From the loneliest bedroom
To the highest office
In the land
There’s a reputation
It’s all held
In your powerful hand

All it took
Was a phone call to the east
Spread around some cash
Press the flesh and
Everybody gets financial redress
It’s funny how it works
One minute you’re precious
The next one you’re
Dirt

From the lowliest bathroom
To the highest office
In the land
There’s a reputation
It’s all held
In your powerful hand

It’s something that sticks
So relax your lips
We’re appalled
At your unmitigated gall
Not amused
At your privilege
At who you’ve used
And abused
I can’t wait
To vote again
I’m in a stall
You’re in a tailspin
I can’t wait
To vote again
I’m in a stall
You’re in a tailspin now

inside your love

You’ve got your problems
I’ve got mine
They pale in comparison
To the world outside
Forty continuous wars
At any given time
You want me
To make up my mind

Consumption was
Way out of control
I slammed down hard
I just had to
Grab hold
Nerve ends frayed
They were over-exposed
What could I do
Christ she was beautiful

I could use a piece
Of resistance
The glory of a
Valid incision
But who has the guts
To go the distance
Everybody’s paralyzed
With indecision

I found my own
Escape route religion
It was like
She came from above
But I spent everything I had
In another church
Can I hide myself
Inside your love

I’m a solemn believer
In nothing at all
I wouldn’t deceive you
Until you make me crawl
I’m a solemn believer
In nothing at all

Some kind of love
Is mere obsession
But my love
Will be
A war of attrition
I’d punch and kick
And maim and gouge for you
In fact I’d even
Kill for you

charity

All my life
I always somehow knew
That power came out of
The barrel of a gun
I thought I’d play
My rock’n’roll
For a few years
That’s how I would
Raise my money
Things didn’t pan out
Like gold from a stream
But I’ve got something else
Right up my sleeve
I’m going to ship myself
Overseas
To cure the world
Of your disease

Hey Mister
Lend this kid a dime
He looks young
But he’s way past his prime
Hey Mister
Give these kids some time
They look good but
They’re living in your slime

I really like you but
I just can’t stand it
When you ask if
You can lend a hand
It’s really basically
A simple plan
Turn back the tide
Of the shifting sand

Hey lady
Come over here
I want that fur
And that diamond
In your ear
These things you wear
They won’t be enough
When you’re dead
And getting stuffed

crawl with me

art bergmann

my empty house

our little secret

(we want) the most wanted man in town

don't be late

runaway train

final cliche

crawl with me

junkie don't care

ill repute

inside your love

charity